1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a firearm, especially a semiautomatic weapon and preferably a semiautomatic pistol. The weapon incorporates an interchangeable component, a mode determinator, that determinates what and how many modes the weapon can be maneuvered and employed in. The maneuver-and-employment mode determinater activates components permanently integrated into the weapon. These components operate the weapon in the particular maneuver-and-employment mode selected.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A weapon of a specific basic design may not infrequently be employed for various purposes. A particular application, pertinent legislation, or training for a particular objective can necessitate various modes of maneuver and employment. Modifying rapid-tire military weapons for civilian use to prevent continuous or burst-by-burst firing for example is known.
Again, many military applications, reconnaissance for example, may require firing one round at a time or, at the most, in brief bursts and not continuous or running fire. The risk of betraying a position or running out of ammunition for instance may outweigh other considerations.
Semiautomatic pistols for non-military applications may also be employed for a number of special purposes that require specific maneuver-and-employment modes.
Many contemporary semiautomatic pistols with spring-loaded triggers conventionally remain ready once they have been cocked or once there is a shell in the chamber, and require little force on the trigger to overcome its resistance. Such pistols can often be dangerous when their users, mounted police for example, are exposed to jolting while firing.
Although safety mechanisms to prevent unintended firing are an advantage, they can often represent a hazard in some applications by preventing the user from responding rapidly enough to save his life.
Some trainees being tested for rapid-response firing on the range cheat by secretly cocking their weapons ahead of time.
A spring-loaded trigger, finally, is unnecessary for sporting meets with semiautomatic-hammer weapons or with self-loading revolvers. The untensioned hammer indicates unreadiness to fire while the weapon is down or the manual of arms is being executed, although only when the weapon does not have a spring-loaded trigger.
In all of these situations, a semiautomatic pistol conventionally equipped with a safety mechanism, spring-loaded trigger, and the potential for firing with the hammer cocked is less practical than a weapon that can be fired with only a spring-loaded trigger, without a safety mechanism, or only with the hammer cocked.
As hereintofore mentioned, leaving out unneeded components while assembling the weapon and inserting other types of part instead are known. One example is the civil version of a military weapon that lacks a rapid-fire capability.
It is also basically possible to remove the safety mechanism from many weapons without impeding their operation in general. The procedure does, however, require considerable skill, special tools, and a lot of time. Components to occupy the missing safety mechanism's accommodation opening and outlet are also necessary.
Replacing a repeater trigger assembly that accommodates a simple trigger with one that accommodates a hair trigger is also known. Such a procedure, however, can be carried out only by a gunsmith or other skilled craftsman. It has nothing to do with the possibly temporary adaptation of a weapon for a particular application.